A movie will be unveiled on April 5 that should get a prize for honesty in blasphemy. Unlike the emerging church celebrity authors and speakers who shuck and jive when asked direct questions about God, salvation, and truth, The Moses Code is produced by those who will tell you right out what they believe. What they do believe is breathtaking in its Satanic audacity. In the movie trailer, promoters of The Moses Code cheerfully announce that I AM is something all of us can say. Towards the end of the clip, one young man looks up and into the camera and tells viewers, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Yes, there is a Big Shift underway. The two spheres that were once irreconcilably opposed to one another, (Evangelicalism and New Spirituality) are coming together. The overlap has begun. But millions of evangelical Christians in the pews are distracted. They haven’t researched these issues. They don’t know their Bibles. They accept without question whatever Zondervan or Thomas Nelson put out. They watch the DVD’s their church screens like Rob Bell’s Nooma videos and they don’t catch the language. It is slippery. It is subtle, but the enemy is getting bolder with each passing day. There is a lack of sobriety and vigilance, and now the enemy is walking boldly in the front doors of our churches and Christian colleges. See also The Shift To Global Oneness , Heresy Goes to Hollywood, Summer '08, Schuller-esque Survey On The Silver Screen , The "Secret" Seduction , The Mystical "Secret" , Hollywood's Flood of Deception

Rick Warren and Barack Obama share views on global peace and world-wide unification. Obama, who was a speaker at the "Pentecost 2006: Building a Covenant for a New America" conference, used "the speech as a call for continued dialogue and bridge-building between religious conservatives and progressives." This "bridge-building" is the same kind of talk Rick Warren uses when he is discussing his "new reformation" that will include all religions, in which he states that he will do "whatever it takes" and work with anyone at all to accomplish this new reformation in his lifetime.

In Obama's address at Pentecost 2006, he talked about the "connection between religion and politics." This is what Rick Warren talks about with his "three-legged stool" philosophy that government, religion and business have to work together if global peace is ever going to happen. In light of the popularity of both these men, and given the possibility that Rick Warren could potentially be "the President's pastor," their views on global peace should not be overlooked.

From The Advertising Age: Mara Einstein's 'Brands of Faith' Eyes Movement as Product with a Shelf Life by Mya Frazier"Is the evangelical movement suffering a midlife crisis? Or, for those with a more brand-centric world view: Is evangelism entering the "mature" stage of its brand life cycle? ...corporate marketers stand to learn a thing or two about pushing product from "Brands of Faith," specifically viral and word-of-mouth efforts. The real gem of Ms. Einstein's text is an in-depth look at one of the most successful leaders of the evangelical pack: Rick Warren, whose spiritual guidebook, "The Purpose-Driven Life," is second only to the Bible as the best-selling hardcover of all time. Similar to the way Sam Walton figured out where to plop Wal-Mart stores, Mr. Warren planted his Saddleback Church in the late 1970s based on demographic and census data citing the "least churched" regions of the U.S. He isolated Orange County, Calif., one of the fastest-growing areas in the country at that time. He went door-to-door, surveying only those who didn't attend church regularly. Instead of stealing parishioners, he'd make more. Mr. Warren's foray into e-mail marketing and focus groups is discussed in detail, as is the promotional network created for his first book, "The Purpose-Driven Church," a guide initially targeted to church leaders via a website, Pastors.com. Ms. Einstein credits the ad industry for the rise of evangelism in the last decade: "Interactions with advertising have led us to expect certain things from marketers, specifically convenience and entertainment ... these expectations have migrated to the realm of spiritual practice."She likens the evangelical movement's success not to some historic spiritual awakening or God's hand at work, but to the use of secular marketing tactics.

By Peter A. Maresco, Ph.D. for Academic Leadership Journal"...if Rick Warren is capable of getting Jack Welch to think of him as such a big thinker what about all the other founders and leaders of the growing number of megachurches that have appeared over the past several years.Is there really any difference between these leaders and business leaders in how they drive home their visions? I guess it really comes back to that basic leadership tenant; having a VISION. It seems that in one way or another every successful leader not only has a vision for what they want to accomplish and an understanding of how to accomplish the vision but they have the perseverance and drive necessary to see the vision through to its completion. They also have a good amount of charisma as well... ...There is also Joel Osteen, leader of the 43,000 member nondenominational Lakeview Church located in Houston, TX. Osteen reminds his followers that when he took overt the ministry upon the death of his father he has second thoughts but he had a vision of where he wanted to take his ministry and how he wanted to get there."Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.Jeremiah 14:14 And the LORD said to me: "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.

Visit Extreme Theology and read of far too many pastors in their seeker-sensitive/purpose-driven methods have abandoned gospel preaching and as a result have turned Christianity into a performance based religion.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

We are people from all regions of the world and all walks of life who are joined - united by a common vision; to strengthen and sustain an actively compassionate humanity. Our movement is open to anyone who believes that creating a better world is possible – a world where all beings are valued equally, where the Earth is revered and protected and where the awesome potential of humanity can unite to bring about true peace and harmony.-From the Alliance For a New Humanity website.

Shifting their hope to “world peace” through “religious peace”—i.e., interfaith unity—many in today’s Christianity are trampling the Word of God in their mad dash to see who can wave the white flag of surrender to Oneness with the most “courage.” No god on earth is betrayed more by its followers than the living true God is betrayed by those who claim to be following Him. His armor-shedding “followers” are passionately shifting their allegiance to the counterfeit “One God” of many religions, paths, names, and theologies/doctrines, while trying to convince themselves and others that their new allegiance to this false “One God” is nothing more than just different “concepts,” “understandings,” “interpretations,” “experiences,” and “worship styles” of the true God -page 42 , Are You “Being Led Away with the Error of the Wicked” to the New Age Ark of Oneness? by Tamara Hartzell

The town of Yelwa sits squarely in the "middle belt" of Nigeria, an area where the Christian majority south and the Muslim majority north grind away at each other in spasms of religious violence that would make an inquisitor blush. An article in the current Atlantic Monthly "God's Country" by Eliza Griswold, recounts one of these episodes of religious violence.

There were bullet-ridden bodies strewn around. A church was set on fire by an arsonist's hand. Then the school and the nursery were set ablaze. Members of the congregation were shot by armed gunman. In all, 78 Christians were killed and placed in a mass grave. Fortunately, the pastor of the destroyed church survived but lost seven members of his family that day. This was the result of a coordinated attack on a Christian church by Muslims in the Nigerian town of Yelwa. A week later, Yelwa was surrounded by hundreds of armed men, some sporting tags identifying them as members of the Christian Association of Nigeria.

What followed was a two day orgy of retribution resulting in the massacre of patients in a clinic and 660 deaths. The Muslim women and children of Yelwa were rounded up, taken to nearby villages and were raped for weeks. Nigerian soldiers eventually went from hut to hut and released these victims but 50 of these women never made it back to their families.

Scenes like these are not new to Africa. The Muslim contribution to religious violence on the continent of Africa is well documented and has received extensive coverage in the Western media. However, the role of Western and African Christian leaders in these conflicts has been overlooked.

Take the Anglican Archbishop of Nigeria, Peter Akinola's response to the inter-communal violence that I mentioned earlier. Instead of delivering a message of reconciliation he said, "The church says turn the other cheek, but now there is no other cheek to turn." Then, Rick Warren, author of the hugely successful book "The Purpose Driven Life" thought he ought to chime in. In an article for Time, the pudgy pastor of disaster wrote a piece on Peter Akinola that made one wait in anticipation for them to French kiss. In only 235 words, he was able to offer Akinola tacit support for ethnic cleansing. He called Peter Akinola, a brave "biblical" man who, "â€¦has been criticized for recent remarks of frustration[â€¦]" toward Muslim-Christian violence, "But Christians are routinely attacked in parts of Nigeria.

"When an unequivocal condemnation of the violence on both sides was needed, Akinola and Warren decided to appeal to sectarianism. Bravo. But I have to be fair to Archbishop Akinola. It would be difficult for him to have done otherwise. After all, he is the head of the Christian Association of Nigeria, the very same group whose members took part in retaliatory attack on the Muslims of Yelwa. I wonder if Rick Warren knew that?

"Well Othman, that is one silly example," you say. Well here are some more. Pat Robertson, one of the most prominent Evangelical figures in the United States, invested in a gold mining venture in Liberia with its leader Charles Taylor. Charles Taylor is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Liberians and is now on trial for crimes against humanity. The Guardian reported that hundreds of young Nigerian children are being killed and thousands more permanently scarred by parents who are convinced by their pastors that their kids are witches. If they don't have the money for an exorcism, they are told to get rid of them.

The article goes on further to say, "[â€¦]it is American and Scottish Pentecostal and Evangelical missionaries of the past 50 years who have shaped these beliefs." If one believes that demons can possess people and God can induce you to speak in tongues in church as many Pentecostals do, is it really that hard to convince someone that their child is a witch?

In America, there are religious groups that ignorantly sound off on foreign conflicts or purposely exploit people or reinforce local customs with their poisoned theology. Groups and individuals who cause harm through their preaching should be brought to justice in the U.S. Just because these abuses occur in Africa does not mean that we should ignore them.

In the March issue of The Atlantic, Eliza Griswold writes about the conflict between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria (”God’s Country” - you might have to be a subscriber to read it). In February 2004 a group of Muslims raided a Christian church, set it on fire, and killed 78 people. The Christian’s retaliation, however, horrified me more. Two months later members of the Christian Association of Nigeria killed 660 Muslims, including patients at a clinic. “Twelve mosques and 300 houses went up in flames. Young girls were marched to a nearby Christian town and forced to eat pork and drink alcohol. Many were raped, and 50 were killed.” They hacked two boys to pieces with a machete, then burned the remains in a rubber tire.

There is more. At the time Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola was the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, the group which attacked the Muslims. From Griswold’s piece:When asked if those wearing name tags that read “Christian Association of Nigeria” had been sent to the Muslim part of Yelwa, the archbishop grinned. “No comment,” he said. “No Christian would pray for violence, but it would be utterly naive to sweep this issue of Islam under the carpet.” He went on, “I’m not out to combat anybody. I’m only doing what the Holy Spirit tells me to do. I’m living my faith, practicing and preaching that Jesus Christ is the one and only way to God, and they respect me for it. They know where we stand. I’ve said before: let no Muslim think they have the monopoly on violence.”

This from not only a Christian pastor, but an Anglican primate. As I read this I thought his name sounded familiar so I did some hunting. Sure enough, Akinola is the oft-touted hero of conservative Anglicanism. He has strongly opposed the ordination of non-celibate homosexuals and the liberalization of western Christianity. He is one of the founders of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, an organization disputing, among other things, the ordination of Gene Robinson. In December 2006, two American congregations voted to place themselves under his authority. Rick Warren has called him “a man of peace and his leadership is a model for Christians around the world.”

Now, I know virtually nothing about the Anglican hullabaloo; I don’t even know what’s going on in my own LCMS. From my perspective, however, it is scandalous that conservative Anglicans would align themselves with a man who all but admitted to approving these brutal, murderous attacks on Muslims. I don’t give a damn what you think about homosexuality - there is no excuse for getting in bed with such a pathetic excuse for a Christian minister. Unless I’m badly misunderstanding something this is orders of magnitude worse than ordaining Gene Robinson.

Friday, February 22, 2008

"Is [seeker-sensitive worship] a biblically permissible way to reach the lost, or a tipping of the hat to the techniques of the culture that have little or nothing to do with Scripture?", so asks Aaron Menikoff in this article (part 1 of 4). If you have loved ones who have been taken captive by a worldly philosophy of worship, or your pastor needs some loving encouragement to reconsider the biblical principles that should govern corporate worship, you will want to read all four articles posted on the 9 Marks website.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (1 Timothy 4:1)

Purpose Driven Puppet Master Rick Warren is world renowned for his “revolutionary” methods of doing church. It’s true that his “successful” formula has indisputably put more nickels and noses into the professing church, but what’s not so well known is the fact that Warren-esque success comes at a high price. Just ask the “resisters” who have been literally thrown out of their former churches by Rick Warren’s zealous zombies - a.k.a. his Purpose Driven Pulpit-Puppets - as they mindlessly, methodically, and mercilessly implement “Pastor Rick’s” New Age inspired systems.

These blind leaders of the blind are veritable spiritual apothecaries who are adept at mixing just enough truth with error to brew up a sweet tasting yet spiritually poisonous concoction. These are ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing who mercilessly rend Christ’s little flock while purporting to be about God’s work."

From Cape Cod Times: OSLO, Norway - A magnitude-6.2 earthquake, the largest ever recorded on Norwegian territory, hit off the Arctic Svalbard islands early today, the national seismic monitoring center said. No casualties or damage were reported. The quake could have been catastrophic if it had hit a more densely populated area, said Conrad Lindholm, senior researcher of the seismic institute NORSAR.

“This is extremely rare,” Lindholm said by telephone, adding it was the strongest quake in Norway since it started taking records about a century ago. The Web site of the U.S. Geological Survey

Thursday, February 21, 2008

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 struck in northeastern Nevada this morning.According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) the quake was located approximately 150 miles from Salt Lake City in rural northeastern Nevada.

There are unconfirmed reports of damage to buildings in the region.

Click on image to go direct to USGS.

See related article where the following point was made...An "Israeli" earthquake last week, and a blood red moon this week. A look back to the last blood red moon reveals some remarkable omens.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Charles Spurgeon, The Prince of PreachersWe need not that men should be adopting new schemes and new plans. We are glad of the agencies and assistances which are continually arising; but after all, the true Jerusalem blade, the sword that can cut to the piercing asunder of the joints and marrow, is preaching the Word of God. We must never neglect it, never despise it. The age in which the pulpit it despised, will be an age in which gospel truth will cease to be honored. Once put away God’s ministers, and you have to a great extent taken the candle out of the candlestick; quenched the lamps that God hath appointed in the sanctuary. Our missionary societies need continually to be reminded of this; they get so busy with translations, so diligently employed with the different operations of civilization, with the founding of stores, with the encouragement of commerce among a people, that they seem to neglect — at least in some degree — that which is the great and master weapon of the minister, the foolishness of preaching by which it pleases God to save them that believe.

Preaching the gospel will effectually civilize, while introducing the arts of civilization will sometimes fail. Preaching the gospel will lift up the barbarian, while attempts to do it by philosophy will be found ineffectual. We must go among them, and tell them of Christ; we must point them to heaven; we must lead them to the cross; [thus] shall they be elevated in their character, and raised in their condition. But by no other means. God forbid that we should begin to depreciate preaching. Let us still honor it; let us look to it as God’s ordained instrumentality, and we shall yet see in the world a repetition of great wonders wrought by the preaching in the name of Jesus Christ.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Jones explains that the movement was spawned because a lot of youth pastors had been raised in this dying, superficial Christianity and the emerging church is their way of coming of age. But anyone who has read Roger Oakland's powerful expose' on the emerging church (Faith Undone) knows that the movement was actually spawned by big corporate dollars, and it is very likely that these youth pastors' discontent for traditional Christianity is more the fault of the seminaries they attended rather than their upbringing. Many of the seminaries have been heralding this "new kind of Christianity" for a long time...

...like his cohorts, Tony Campolo and Dan Kimball, who also paint a dismal view of traditional Christianity, Jones believes that the problems of the world are actually caused (at least in large part) by Christians.

"He [Tony Jones] rehashes the Catholic mystics of old, and he teaches the [ancient apostate] ways to deceive men, women and youth and lead them into wickedness...this does not transform them, it deforms them into thinking they are Christians... Young people who get deceived by this deadly poison, sugar-coated, calling itself Christian, end up in immorality as they try to practice these evil ways...Ancient ways such as Lectio Divina, centering prayer, The Jesus prayer (mantra), centering prayer, the Ignatius Examine, the Stations of the Cross, and the labyrinth...lethal wickedness leading to the lust of the mind where you think you have made direct contact with God"

From the Israeli Insider: There were only two reports of damage in Israel from Friday's quake, and one of them was in the most politically sensitive place on earth. Muslim authorities report that the tremor, centered in southern Lebanon and measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale, opened a crater on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, adjacent to the Dome of the Rock.

The Pope referenced the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Immaculate Mary at Lourdes, as he commented on Mary's obedience in the immaculate conception. The Pope then makes the statement "...she did not hesitate to share the passion of her Son, renewing on Calvary at the foot of the Cross..." The Pope makes several points including:

One cannot contemplate Mary without being attracted by Christ and one cannot look at Christ without immediately perceiving the presence of Mary. There is an indissoluble link between the Mother and the Son, generated in her womb by work of the Holy Spirit, and this link we perceive, in a mysterious way, in the Sacrament of the Eucharist...The link of the Holy Virgin with the Son, the sacrificed Lamb who takes away the sins of the world, is extended to the Church, the mystic Body of Christ.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Last month, The Christian Post ran this piece on How Do Unchurched Americans View Christianity? The article focused on the study conducted by LifeWay Research director Ed Stetzer. "A full 72 percent of the people interviewed said they think the church ‘is full of hypocrites’" Stetzer said.

Well, now Hollywood takes the unchurched opinion poll to a new level. In much the same spirit of Robert Schuller and Rick Warren, who capitalized on what the unchurched wanted in a church, comes Lord Save Us From Your Followers.

In producer Dan Merchant's clip below, the general public 's opinion of Christians sets the baseline for the clip. Doesn't take a lot of imagination to guess what the majority think, and some for good reason. Merchant then cuts to Africa to a poverty/ AIDS humanitarian effort that "...is a demonstration of something true and powerful...it's Christ's work."

The clip then jets to Portland, Oregon to the gay & lesbian event, Pride Northwest. We find Merchant ( is that his real name or his stage name ?) in a mock Roman Catholic confessional booth at the event. Inside Merchant confesses and apologizes for not obeying Christ, to love one another to individuals involved with homosexuality.

" Jesus asks for me to love one another, and I apologize for not doing that." The forgivers are moved by the confession. One woman responds by asking " How could Jesus followers hate so much?" Merchant then interviews culture commentator writer Tom Krattenmaker who describes the"best face" of religion. "... the best face of religion is not devisive, but brings people together, lifts us up..."

Editor's note: Does anyone dare ask what God thinks of American society today? But you would have to open His Word to find out and that would mean you are a narrow minded fundamentalist. What would the world say about you then?

The UK’s ecumenical think tank Ecclesia reports: The World Council of Churches general secretary the Rev Samuel Kobia states that new expressions of Christianity, the impact of globalization and increasing religious diversity are radically changing the shape of the church.

Kobia stated that the WCC will only continue to function as a privileged instrument of the wider ecumenical movement. Kobia pointed out that differing understandings of biblical truth are testing the bonds of Christian unity. Kobia also referred to unity, common witness, and service as the "three building blocks of the WCC’s DNA" .Read the rest here.

The article that follows is titled "It's the season to deepen a walk with God." The first paragraph states: "This Lent could be a season to deepen your walk with God. How? I suggest reading--or re-reading--the most significant book published in the last century: "The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren"

Based on this information found in the article that we are posting it should be obvious that Purpose Driven Christianity has become an ecumenical tool that is uniting Roman Catholics with so-called evangelical Christians..

Therefore if Purpose Driven Christianity is a form of Christianity that promotes building the kingdom by working together with Roman Catholics, Muslims, and anyone else, no matter what their religion, .is this the church that Jesus Christ shed His blood for on the cross at Calvary so that sinners could spend eternity in heaven?

Acceptance of the Eucharist by evangelical Christians has been simmering in the background for some time. Chuck Colson's Evangelicals and Catholics Together document played a significant role with desensitizing believers into finding common ground with Catholicism. Rick Warren has openly shown, time and again, his affinity to joining Catholicism and evangelicalism together. But as we have succinctly pointed out in our other works, it is mysticism that unites all the world's religious traditions. In that mystical realm that is achieved through contemplative prayer, it is taught that God is in all things, and God is all things.

Dr. Baliunas' work with fellow Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics astronomer Willie Soon suggests global warming is more directly related to solar variability than to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, an alternative view to what's been widely publicized in the mainstream media.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Infiltration and deception have been tools of conspirators through the ages, and the Church has been a primary target! After all, God warns us that "the whole world is under the sway of the evil one." (1 John 5:19) One of his most effective schemes is to redefine God's Word and divert Christians from His unchanging Truth to man's shifting ideals.

For example, God calls us to serve the poor and fills our hearts with love for the needy. That's why His true followers around the world have willingly given their lives to share His truth and love in perilous places. But today's world-centered church illustrates a different kind of service. Designed to please man rather than God, it trains its servers to hide the "offensive" truths of the gospel.

This post is the first in a series of articles about the stealing of the Church by those like Carter, Clinton, Campolo, Gore, Warren, and McLaren. In this post I intend to contrast true, orthodox Christianity from the Liberal version...The line of demarcation between genuine Christianity and Liberal Christianity is actually very easy to see and understand. Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life, No one comes to the Father, but by Him. The exclusivity of genuine Christianity is not only the line of demarcation, but it also the point of contention between liberals and genuine Christians. From this exclusivity flows the doctrines that define our faith. These doctrines tell us that God is Sovereign, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and immutable. They tell us that He gave us His Word which is perfect and inerrant. They tell us that all who believe God, trusting in the work of Christ dying on the cross for our sins that we shall have eternal life. They tell us that all whom believes and trusts God are saved by grace through faith. They are regenerated into new creations unto good works and are given the Holy Spirit. They tell us that we are commanded to evangelize the world, making disciples until our Lord returns.

However, Liberal theology’s contention starts at this line of demarcation. Liberals proudly tell us that they are free thinkers and open minded. The following is a quote directly from the Mainstream Baptists web page:

“We are not narrow-minded, dogmatic, legalistic or anti-intellectual. We believe that all truth is God’s truth and we are open to discovering truth by scientific inquiry, philosophic reasoning, and human experience.

We humbly recognize that ultimate Truth is beyond human conceptualization (Isaiah 55:8), that Truth is ultimately personal (John 14:6), and that we must depend upon the guidance of God’s Spirit to discern truth (John 16:13).”The implication is that if one is not a liberal Christian then he or she is narrow-minded, dogmatic, legalistic and anti-intellectual. Is it narrow-minded and dogmatic to believe what the Bible teaches?See the rest of Part I here. See part II, Grace, Faith and Certainty here.

“The Religious Left is successfully redefining what it means to be a conservative evangelical by misrepresenting what it means to be a conservative evangelical…The new voices of the Religious Left – Rick Warren, Joel Hunter, Tony Campolo, Jim Wallis, et al – are defining down what it means to be an evangelical by making the symptoms of man’s sin (poverty, disease, etc.) a priority rather than addressing the cause of those symptoms (sin) and the cure found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.” –from Paul Edwards at Townhall.com

Though nine out of ten Americans claim a belief in God, public expression of faith is more contentious as ever. Even as discussion of religion floods the media like never before, the rhetoric is divisive and hyper as the 2008 elections loom on the horizon.

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers is the energetic, accessible documentary that explores the collision of faith and culture in America. Fed up with the angry, strident language filling the airwaves that has come to represent the Christian faith, director (and follower) Dan Merchant set out to discover why the Gospel of Love is dividing America.

With exclusive interviews with comedian/Senatorial candidate Al Franken, former Senator and Religious Right inside man Rick Santorum, noted “liberal evangelical” Tony Campolo, conservative radio host Michael Reagan, racial reconciliation activist Dr. John Perkins and features with Bono, Pastor Rick Warren (“Purpose Driven Life”), James Dobson, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, no stone is left unturned in this engaging, unpredictable and challenging look at the conflict over religion in America.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

We're putting this up as a discussion piece. In the past our videos have provided the analysis. This time we're not doing that.

So, you tell us whether or not people will make it to heaven based upon what Rick Warren said on Sean Hannity's show on February 10, 2008.

To help this discussion we've taken Rick Warren's solution to 'making it to heaven' and altered some passages about salvation to help see if this fits what the Bible teaches.

John 6:28-29 Then they said to Jesus, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “Give as much of yourself as you understand to as much as you understand about me and then keep growing in it.”Acts 2:37-39 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Give as much of yourself as you understand to as much of Jesus Christ as you understand and then keep growing in it."

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever gives as much of themselves as they understand to as much of Jesus Christ as they understand and keep growing in it shall have eternal life.

So what do you think? Is Rick Warren's solution to making it to heaven consistent with what God's Word says?

"..we wish to acknowledge a movement of radical rebirth, grounded in God’s love and drawing on the rich tradition of Christian practices that have long formed disciples in the simple Way of Christ. This contemporary school for conversion which we have called a “new monasticism,” is producing a grassroots ecumenism and a prophetic witness within the North American church which is diverse in form...

Lament for racial divisions and active pursuit of a just reconciliation.

Intentional formation in the way of Christ and the rule of the community along the lines of the old novitiate.

Care for God’s earth and peacemaking

Commitment to a disciplined contemplative life.

We also find a collection of authors on the website that have written on the movement of young people gravitating toward intentional, communal living in America’s inner cities...

Shane Claiborne in his book, The Irresistible Revolution , "describes an authentic faith rooted in belief, action, and love, inviting us into a movement of the Spirit that begins inside each of us and extends into a broken world." Another book, Inhabiting the Church, co-authors "Otto, Stock, and Wilson-Hartgrove ask what the church can learn from St. Benedict’s vows of conversion, obedience, and stability about how to live as the people of God in the world. In story-telling and serious engagement with Scripture, old wisdom breathes life into a new monasticism."It's no secret that Rick Warren endorses New Age & Roman Catholic mystics, but what does America's pastor think about Monasticism? Let's take a look...

Rick Warren was one of five judges on the Templeton Power of Purpose Essay contest in 2004. "The Awards were designed to encourage people to think about the benefits of noble purpose where purpose is defined as something more important than our simple survival, something not merely intellectual, but in our souls."

Warren voted for the grand prize winner, August Turak. "Turak's essay, Brother John, is the true story of how the author's contemplative retreat to Mepkin Abbey, a Trappist monastery, turns both magical and terrible when a simple monk offers to share an umbrella on a cold and rainy Christmas Eve. This simple act of loving kindness proves almost more than he can bear, and becomes the catalyst for a gut wrenching re-evaluation of life, love, and the terrible yet fascinating nature of God."August Turak is the force behind the New Age Self Knowledge Symposium which "encourages people to consciously develop their own personal, moral and spiritual values and to live according to them. The SKSF creates experiential learning programs and social contexts within which people can explore the deeper questions in life, developing intellectual understanding and personal character in a quest for the life worth living."The train called The New Monasticism certainly is on the same track of Rick Warren's PEACE train. Social justice, ecumenism, mysticism and deeds not creeds. All enroute for the final destination for Rome and the coming Global Religious System.

Rick Warren has invited New Age proponent Leonard Sweet to speak at the 2008 Saddleback Small Groups Conference called Wired. The theme of the conference is "Prepare your church for spiritual growth and connectivity." Unfortunately, spiritual growth and connectivity ala Leonard Sweet could be a panentheistic, mystical dose of the New Age--and it isn't the first time Warren has found comradeship with Sweet. As Ray Yungen explains in A Time of Departing, Sweet and Warren came together in 1994 for their Tides of Change audio series. Yungen describes Warren and Sweet's relationship as well as Sweet's beliefs:

In the set, Warren and Sweet talk about "new frontiers," "changing times" and a "new spirituality" on the horizon.Later, in Sweet's 2001 book, Soul Tsunami, Warren gives an endorsement that sits on the back as well as on the front cover of the book. Of the book, Warren says:

Leonard Sweet ... suggests practical ways to communicate God's unchanging truth to our changing world.1Some of these "practical ways" include using a labyrinth and visiting a meditation center.2 Sweet also says, "It's time for a Post Modern Reformation,"3 adding that "The wind of spiritual awakening is blowing across the waters."4 He says that times are changing and you'd better "Reinvent yourself for the 21st century or die."5Read the rest here at Lighthouse Trails Research.

...Apprising Ministries is thankful Warren isn’t God, and according to the Bible, he isn’t even speaking for God either. You see, this is the fundamental problem with postevangelicals like Rick Warren and leaders in the emerging church like Rob Bell and Brian McLaren. Despite their air of superior erudition the fact is that they are very much lacking in proper Biblical theology, which then causes them to be man-centered (semi-pelagian) in their approach to their fellow man. And as a result their spiritual blindness just continues to grow...Men and women, God has already clearly said of unregenerate and totally depraved mankind, “All have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one”...and those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 3:12; 8:8, NASB). Why it’s even in those cherished “red letters” where Christ says to His own disciples— “you, then, thoughyou are evil” (Matthew 7:11).

The choice before you is this: Are you going to listen to your Creator, or are you going to listen to these men who — Professing to be wise, they [are becoming] fools (Romans 1:22, NASB)? Because this is not a drill...

Pastor Warren must constantly reorganize, like any mayor or CEO, employing a management consultant hired directly from the Old Testament…

…Jim Wallis, author and Editor-in-Chief of Sojouners, sees the whole iceberg, and finds that mega-chruches, once merely “suburban filling stations for seekers,” are replacing the religious right with a sense of community and an actual conversation about Jesus.

The "do good" gospel talked about by Rick Warren since his recent trip to Davos (see previous post) is another name for the "Kingdom Gospel" which is rapidly displacing the Gospel of Salvation......To them salvation is only part of a bigger picture – and they are partially right. The bigger picture is the Kingdom of God. Again, they are partly right. But what do they mean by the Kingdom of God? To them it is a literal kingdom which the church is setting up here on earth so that once we have taken control and cleaned up this world and set up the “kingdom,” then Jesus will come back again.Thus, to them, the bigger picture is transforming this world and its systems. This they try to do by gaining political and economic power. In order to achieve this goal, they believe that “Christians” need to be placed in positions of influence and authority and society needs to be transformed through social, political and economic programs.While this all sounds very noble, it is a million miles away from the truth. Read the rest here at Herescope

Author Daniel Chew correctly identifies Rick Warren as Apostate in this post regarding Warren's particpation on the Interfaith panel at the World Economic Forum. Chew writes:

What is an interfaith religious forum doing in an ECONOMIC forum anyway?...

After listening to all the garbage of "we all must be tolerant except we can be intolerant towards those who refuse to follow us" rhetoric, especially from the Jewish representative, my spirit was very disturbed, and to see that Rick Warren, who calls Himself a "conservative Evangelical Baptist Christian leader", has no problem with it and in fact adds fuel to the fire in his speech, is the final straw.

No matter how accomodating and compromising a person may be, how can you sit there and have no problem with all these people blaspheming the name and honor of our God without the Holy Spirit within you protesting against this sacriledge!!? Unless of course, you have so hardened yourself against God that He has left you to your own devices, in your apostasy!

Notice how also that instead of the initial 'P' being 'Planting Churches', now it is 'Promoting reconciliation'. Between what, Rick? Between God and Satan? Between true Christianity and the apostate mainline liberals? NEVER!! I rather die than spit on the blood of my Savior. Repent Rick [Warren], or face the fiery wrath of God for your apostasy from the Gospel!

Editor's note: How does your pastor feel about Rick Warren's theology? Would he choose death before spitting on the Blood of Christ?

The AP reported that host and former President Jimmy Carter "hopes (the) moderate Baptist meeting in Georgia will serve as (a) model of unity." Among the keynote speakers were a couple of other infamous White House Baptists: Brother Bill Clinton and Brother Al Gore. The Christian Post also reported on the meeting where Lillian Kwon wrote that they are "hoping an image of unity will emerge."

Apparently, if real unity isn't achieved, an image of unity will suffice, which, to me, further validates the reputation liberals have earned over the years for seeking symbolism over substance...

"For the first time in more than 160 years, we are convening a major gathering of Baptists throughout an entire continent, without any threat to our unity caused by differences of our race or politics or geography or the legalistic interpretation of Scripture," said Carter, 84, who spearheaded the new movement.

Without the legalistic interpretation of Scripture?

I'm curious to know how a smiley-faced slap like this across the turned cheeks of his more conservative Christian brothers and sisters in attendance (assuming there were any) enhances the unity he alleged to be after. Maybe it was just a slip of the forked tongue and what he intended to say was: any threat to our unity caused by the literal interpretation of Scripture. Or, could it be Carter considers the words "legalistic" and "literal" to be synonymous?

Many of us who are referred to as watchdogs have been trying to warn you of this return to the bondage of apostate Roman Catholicism for some time now. Well, thanks to men like Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker Richard Foster and his buddy Brian McLaren, a leading spiritual director/guru in the Emergent Church, we now have evangelicals following the antibiblical monastic traditions of the Roman Catholic Church...

Christian Entropy Christianity Today reports:A growing number of evangelicals—younger evangelicals in particular—are maturing the movement in another way. They are taking their newfound love affair with Christian tradition and the early church beyond the realm of books and talk and into their churches and Christian lives.

Covenant’s Kenneth Stewart noted at the Wheaton conference that more and more traditionally evangelical congregations are now experimenting with advent candles, sampling practices associated with Lent, and marking Holy Week with special services like Tenebrae—an evening service featuring songs, readings, and the gradual extinguishing of lights to represent Christ’s death.

The chief of the 70-million-strong worldwide Anglican Communion advocates the establishment of Islamic law in Britain, drawing a rebuke from Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who suggested that perhaps British law would serve better. In a recent interview with BBC Radio 4’s "The World At One Today," Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams confirmed adoption of sharia "seems unavoidable."

Thursday, February 7, 2008

From Witnessing.Encouragement. blog:The Davos World Economic Forum not only discusses economics, but many topics related to the globalization of the world, or, phrased differently, the new re-ordered world system.

The Open Forum panel on “Faith and Modernization”, hosted by Tony Blair, consisted of Muslims, Jews and Catholics, and (Protestant) Christianity. Christianity was being represented by Rick Warren, who claims to be a Baptist Evangelical Christian.

The message communicated by the Muslim, Jewish, and Catholic leaders was basically that religions must coexist, common ground must be found, proselytism must stop, extremism, the source of all the problems, must be stopped, and extremists must be faced and controlled. They declared that all believers (adherents to all religions) must work together in unity for world peace, and that it is in “our hands” to change the world...

When Rick Warren spoke, he stated that the future of the world is religious pluralism, and that the world is becoming more religious, not less. He said “we” cannot solve the ‘Five Giants’ (from the P.E.A.C.E. plan) without involving ‘people of faith’ and their religious institutions.

What has happened in the last 20 years is like the frog in the kettle. Wolves in sheep’s clothing have slowly crept into the church. Bad theology worsened but little by little. Because it didn’t happen overnight, many did not notice. Soon, they adjusted to the “new ways of doing church,” be it “seeker-sensitive,” Emergent, etc.

Church leaders “widened the door.” In other words, they furthered the issue with weak preaching and targeting the unsaved rather than feeding true believers eager to grow.

Church members began to speak up but what happened? I have heard of the many who were lectured, asked to leave, called troublemakers and divisive. Unity has become all-important. But how can true believers be united around false or weak preaching and teaching? Solid Christians are being told that they must be tolerant for the sake of unity...To keep silent when such things are going on today is not an option. Eternity may be at stake for some. If you have a passion for the truth and for contending for it, others who are like-minded will come into your life. You are not asked to go on this journey alone. If you do nothing, you are helping the enemy. If you remain silent, you allow the spiritual destruction to continue...

I am asking you to be a part of a solution and not just be a part of discussing the problem. Will you count the cost of contending and go for it? You will some day be held accountable for what you choose to do.

Oops, looks like Patrick Sookhdeo missed the last whistle stop for the Purpose Driven love train of Rick Warren and his PEACE plan. Christian Post reports:

The Western church’s growing tendency to blur theological differences and not uphold the absolute truth is contributing to the threat of radical Islam to the Western world, said a highly respected expert on Islam.Patrick Sookhdeo, the director of the Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity, said churches are moving away from central doctrines that teach about separation and instead conforming to secular society’s ideology of inclusion…

Rick Warren's idea of religious pluralism is taking the evangelical church onto the international scene as a major player in global affairs. As the church becomes a global activist in this emerging new world, it is quickly shedding its unique ability to spread the Gospel. Instead the focus is on programs, networks, and activities -- a call Rick Warren is making to the church to "do good."...the evangelical church is now becoming effectually neutralized as it emerges as a bigtime player on the global scene. Rick Warren commented on the new neutrality in a Washington Post article this week, "Megachurch Pastor Warren Calls for a Second Reformation" by Michelle Boorstein:Rick Warren, a megachurch pastor and philanthropist who is courted by political leaders worldwide, says he thinks Christianity needs a "second Reformation" that would steer the church away from divisive politics and be "about deeds, not creeds.") In this interview, Warren also indicated that he has now shifted his attentions away from "hot-botton issues" to "changing the culture. . . through politics, art, music and sports..." Warren described the 3-legged partnerships he is forming between the church, governments and industry, and indicated that this new global activity isn't about the Gospel anymore.See this critical article in it's entirety here at Herescope.